"And that's finally done." Heaving a long sigh, Sam plopped down on the soft coach allowing his tired body to relax.
"Good work today, Doctor." Nino said with a smile, casually slipping into the spot on his right.
"It has been an exhausting day." Ichigo stood by the side, hesitant to follow after the Japanese doll.
The award ceremony itself took most of the day, but the stress it caused didn't compare to the party that came afterward. Sam wasn't by any means a lower class individual, even before becoming the new Head General. His parents had quite the high positions before their passing, and even without that he, had his achievements in the health industry to propel him to greater heights.
Still, he found the couple of hours he spent with the supposed upper class of their post apocalyptic society some of the most unbearable parts of his life, defeating even the times he had to listen to Alice raving about her fiances.
It was to be expected. No matter the era, there will always be those who indulge in riches while others suffer. That said, Sam was well aware of the danger they posed. People don't get into such high positions by sheer luck, and the constant plotting and scheming that accompanied each exchanged word confirmed the need for caution.
"Humans are truly insufferable." Nine commented, her anger clear despite the smile she wore. "They pretend to talk but all they do is stare at my chest. Would it be okay if I dispose of them next time?"
"Sorry about that." Sam heaved a sigh, glancing in Ichigo's direction before motioning for her to sit beside him. "I know it must've felt uncomfortable, but there is nothing we can do about it. You girls are just that alluring."
The pink haired Valkyrie blushed as he pulled her toward him. As she leaned her head against his shoulder, the discomfort left by the lustful gazes of the men who approached her faded away.
"That's just how things are." The voice drew their attention to the door where a young woman had just entered. "You girls were sheltered from society your whole lives."
"Well, can't say I didn't see it coming."
A lot of things he said that day were bound to create a lot of questions, and as a consequence, people would use every means available to them to get their answers. The Resistance's public service and other governing bodies were bombarded with phone calls the entire day, some from concerned civilians, others from news outlets demanding answers.
The latter didn't seem to care that there was a press conference scheduled for the next day as they desperately tried to get their hands on the scoop of the century.
The Resistance's official website was another place people could go to get information. The servers received a significant upgrade in anticipation of this day, but nothing could've prepared them for when the Auroras' video was released.
"I still think it was a bad idea." Elina tossed him the tablet and threw herself on the opposite sofa. "We should've kept it all under wraps for a while longer."
"No one would argue against more time," Sam said. "But the Primordial won't delay its visit just for us."
"Back in the Olympian world people would do anything to give their children the chance to Awaken." Nino chimed in. "But that's because the system has been established for hundreds of years. On this side, it's doubtful that people will just part with their children, no matter how good the idea of them gaining supernatural powers might sound."
"I don't really get it but... I doubt it'll be easy for them to make up their minds in such a short time..."
"All we can do is give them enough reasons to agree," Sam said.
As Ichigo had put it, two days wasn't enough for people to make such a life-changing decision. The very idea of handing your children to a military organization was enough to bring fear into the heart of any parent.
'Most will probably think we're forcing them into it,' he thought, glancing at his raven-haired fiance. 'Even if we say it's voluntary...'